Hunterston nuclear station workers 'failed to ensure safety' after electrical cabling incident

Workers at a nuclear station in Ayrshire “failed to ensure safety” after an electrical cabling incident, according to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

The ONR issued an improvement notice to EDF Energy following the incident at its Hunterston B site near West Kilbride.

In November, workers failed to ensure that the electrical cabling was “deployed safely” while undertaking work on the cooling water valves in one of the facilities on the site.

The independent nuclear regulator said that although no injuries were sustained, the incident presented a “significant potential risk to worker safety”.

The notice requires EDF Energy to review, revise and implement arrangements to ensure that all 415V portable equipment at Hunterston B is appropriately constructed, maintained, tested and controlled.

The ONR called for EDF to “strengthen its risk assessment processes” and improve arrangements for personnel undertaking electrical work on the site.

Tom Eagleton, ONR’s Head of Safety Regulation, Decommissioning, Fuel and Waste sites, said: “The safety of workers at nuclear licensed sites is a key priority for us. While no one was hurt on this occasion, the potential for serious harm was significant.

“It’s essential that EDF Energy implements the necessary improvements to ensure this cannot happen again.”

The energy firm is required to comply with the notice by March 20.

An EDF spokesperson said: “Safety is our overriding priority and we are committed to ensuring that Hunterston B is a safe place to work.

“No-one was hurt in this incident but we accept the recommendations made in the ONR’s Improvement Notice.

“The issue was identified immediately and proactively reported to the ONR.

“We have formally agreed an action plan to address the recommendations and expect this regulatory action to be concluded in the next few weeks.”